Leading Bangladesh cricketers joined the countrywide protests to stop violence against women by condemning the culprits in their social media handles and asking the countrymen to change their mentality towards women.
Two recent accounts of rape has shook the conscious of the entire country with enraged people flocking the streets and bombarding social media with calls for severe punishment for the offenders.
Cricketers also didn’t keep quite during this social movement as prominent players like Mashrafe Bin Moratza, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim have spoken their minds on the issue in their social media accounts.
Former Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe called for an overall change on outlook towards women in general.
‘When you take your daughter on your lap, you don’t feel any sensation. When your sister is staying in the next room, you don’t feel any excitement. When you go out with your wife, you feel angry when someone throws her a bad look. But when you look at someone else, do you feel the same?’ Mashrafe wrote in his Facebook page on Wednesday.
‘If not, then we need to understand that many of us have this problem in our minds. Many of them don’t get exposed. Let’s change this mentality first. Let women live with her heads held high. A rapist has no identity. He is ugly, either by face or by mentality,’ he added.
Shakib al Hasan, who recently went back to the USA after the Sri Lanka series got postponed, denounced all violence against women in his verified Facebook page.
‘I am the son of a wonderful woman, husband to a wonderful woman, brother to a wonderful woman and the father of two young wonderful women too,’ he wrote on Tuesday.
‘I cannot stay silent against the heinous wrong doings, especially rape and murder, these savage beings are committing against women and children irrespective of their age or religion on a daily basis and neither should you. I stand against all kinds of hatred and violence against human beings.
‘It is our duty to protect and fight for each others’ rights just as our freedom fighters fought for our rights when it mattered most.
‘Let us join hands and fight against this moral plague in our country and protect our women and children so they can dream and live their lives without fear. Remember, if we let this barbaric behavior and mentality continue, one day the victim may end up actually being one of our loved ones,’ he added.
Wicketkeeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim urged the countrymen to stand against all kinds of sexual violence.
‘We cannot stay silent anymore. Rape or any kind of sexual harassment can never be tolerated; it has no space in the society .Wake up Bangladesh. Say no to rape. No means NO,’ Mushfiq wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
Pacer Rubel Hossain also expressed his disgust towards people who commit such heinous acts.
‘How unfortunate are those animals in guise of humans who, despite being born from a mother’s womb, did not learn how to respect women. Mothers and sisters stay safe. There are some animals shaped as humans living in this city. I am lost for words. We want rape-free Bangladesh,’ he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
Opener Soumya Sarkar wanted the country’s judiciary system to show ‘no mercy’ towards the culprits.
‘No woman has to be a victim of physical abuse. Women have to feel like they are not alone. There is no mercy for the abusers,’ he posted on Facebook.
Mahmudullah also showed his solidarity with the activists by putting a black banner in his Facebook profile picture saying ‘Raise your voice #saynotorape.’ -new age
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